Innocent Eyes
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Children have a unique perspective on the world. And for adults, that is both adorable and hilarious. A moment from the "Taking Chances" universe with Elphaba and Fiyero at the orphanage. And Zofie, who has a special present for the Vinkun prince. A Wicked anniversary one-shot (a touch belated). Fiyeraba.


**Innocent Eyes**

**By Vinkunwildflowerqueen**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**has magical powers. Unfortunately, being the property of me is not one of them.**

**AN. So, I wanted to write a one-shot for **_**Wicked**_**'s anniversary, as so many have done. Unfortunately, my students have their yearly exams next week, which requires me to write the exam... and I can't give them **_**Wicked **_**fanfiction. So forgive the day lateness!**

**I don't know where this idea came from, but I thought it was cute. And I thought I'd fit in into the **_**Taking Chances **_**universe with Zofie because everyone loved her. I swear, I've had more hate mail for her death than anything else! LOL. **

Elphaba came down the stairs of the orphanage tiredly after helping Amala put the youngest children to bed. The good thing was that they had all crashed almost immediately, no doubt helped by the mass amounts of sugar they had consumed throughout the day.

This weekend had been Zofie's seventh birthday, so they had thrown the little girl a big birthday party. Fiyero had even come up to the Emerald City for the occasion; and he had surprised Elphaba's favourite student with a gigantic stuffed teddy bear, which she adored.

As Elphaba headed towards the first floor, she could hear music coming from the common room where the children played. Amala had given Zofie a record of the popular children's group in Oz, and she had been playing it full blast on the record player all day.

Elphaba just knew that these songs were going to be stuck in her head for weeks. And that the record would be played to death for the next month at least. She was suddenly very grateful she did not live at the orphanage.

She paused, a soft smile appearing on her face at the sight that beheld her. From the first floor landing she could see into the common room. There was Zofie and some of the other younger kids, singing and dancing to the current song. And right in the midst of them- Elphaba's boyfriend, the scandalacious Prince Fiyero Tiggular, doing the actions to the dance with the children.

'_Well, we're gonna go up,_

_Then go down._

_Go back up and turn around,_

_Can you point your fingers and do the twist?'_

Elphaba laughed slightly, watching Fiyero awkwardly dancing with the children, doing his best to keep up with a song he didn't know.

It was the last song on the record, and when it finished, Zofie went to move the needle to the beginning.

"Why don't we give it a break for a little while?" Elphaba heard Fiyero hastily suggest.

"I think there's cake left over. Er, Yulia, Laryn, Calleigh? Why don't you take the kids to get some more cake?"

Calleigh nodded, looking as grateful as Fiyero sounded to have the music stopped.

"Ok. Come on, guys."

"Can we light the candles again?" Zofie asked eagerly.

"Sure," Yulia agreed immediately.

"Er, I don't think Miss Amala or Miss Fae will let us do that," Elphaba heard Laryn point out.

"What do they think we're going to do, burn the orphanage down?" Yulia scoffed.

Elphaba really hoped they didn't do that. She made a mental note to check on them in a few seconds.

She continued down the stairs and entered the room, where Fiyero had collapsed onto the couch in exhaustion.

"I still don't know how you do this every day. I love those kids, but Oz, they are _exhausting!" _Fiyero greeted her tiredly.

Elphaba smirked as she sat next to him. "Well, we dance less."

Fiyero grinned sheepishly. "Well... the kids looked like they were having fun... and it's kinda catchy... and Zofie has those _eyes!" _he complained in self-defence.

Elphaba laughed. It was incredibly hard to say 'no' to the little girl when she turned her big blue eyes on you.

"I really have to let her meet Galinda," she mused. "Or maybe it would be safer not to. Now that I think about that..."

Fiyero laughed. "That girl is going to break a lot of hearts in about five years," he agreed.

Elphaba looked at him in confusion. "Five years? She'll be twelve."

"Yeah, that's the age when you know... we realise that girls... don't have cooties."

She snorted. "Right. Of course."

Elphaba sighed slightly. "She's seven... I can't believe that little girl hasn't been adopted yet. She's the sweetest..."

"I know," Fiyero nodded sadly.

Then he stifled a yawn. "Seriously, Fae, how do you do it? The kids are off the walls."

"It's all the sugar," she smiled faintly. "Which will be _greatly _helped by the third serving of cake you just offered them, thank you very much."

"Hey, that's Amala's problem," Fiyero waved a hand dismissively.

"Thank you, Fiyero," Amala said dryly, entering the room to overhear the end of the conversation.

"I should go check on the kids," Elphaba said, moving to get up. "Zofie wanted more candles, and I don't trust Yulia to say no to that."

"I'll do it," Amala offered quickly. "Why don't you and Fiyero think of something for the children to do after cake? Preferably something quiet... that doesn't involve that record."

Elphaba laughed. "No worries."

"Unless you two would like to go home?" Amala offered. "It's nearly seven, please don't feel obligated to stay."

Elphaba smiled. "No, it's fine. I promised Zofie I'd stay until she goes to bed so I can read her a story."

Amala left the room to check on the kids in the kitchen, and Elphaba looked over at Fiyero.

"Maybe we'll get the kids to draw. It's Zofie's favourite."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure. I can feign interest in kid's scribbles for an hour or so."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

The younger kids were happy to settle down with cake and colouring supplies; and most of the older kids retreated to their rooms, except for some of them who joined in to colour pictures, Calleigh, Laryn and Yulia amongst them.

"I will bet you anything that Zofie draws a picture of us getting married," Elphaba muttered to Fiyero.

He grinned. "Fine. Ten bucks."

"Deal."

What Elphaba didn't mention was that in the five months she'd been in the orphanage, she had received a dozen pictures of the same theme from the little girl. Fiyero had evidently forgotten that fact in the two months he'd been back in the Vinkus away from the orphanage so frequently.

Elphaba and Fiyero sat together on the couch for a while, watching the kids colour. Elphaba was so relaxed, and she could feel herself beginning to feel sleepy.

With a quiet groan, she forced herself to get up. Fiyero made a sound of protest.

"I'm going to fall asleep if I keep sitting here," she said softly.

Fiyero couldn't disagree with that. "I'll go get us some coffee," he offered.

Whilst he headed to the kitchen, Elphaba joined the kids.

"What are we drawing here, guys?"

She had to admire everyone's pictures, even the older kids.

And finally, Amala announced it was time for bed, and the kids began to say goodnight. As promised, Elphaba had to read Zofie a bed time story and tuck her in.

"Did you have a good birthday?"

Zofie nodded happily. "It was the best birthday ever! I've never gotten to eat three pieces of cake before!"

Elphaba was just thankful those three pieces hadn't made a surprise return during the night.

There was a gentle tap on the open door of the room Zofie shared with a few other girls, and Fiyero appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, girls," he greeted them all. "Goodnight, Zofe. I hope you had a great birthday."

The little girl beamed. "I did. Thank you for my bear, Yero."

"Aw, you're welcome. Thank _you _for inviting me to your party," Fiyero replied easily.

Elphaba was smiling softly. She loved seeing Fiyero interact with the kids, and Zofie was special to everyone.

Zofie sat up in bed and grabbed a few pieces of paper from her nightstand.

"This is for you and Miss Fae."

Fiyero entered the room and joined Elphaba on the edge of her bed, taking the piece of paper from Zofie and unfolding it.

"Thanks, Zofie... hey, look at this."

Elphaba looked over his shoulder and grinned. "Oh, look. It's a picture of us getting married, Yero."

Fiyero chuckled. "It's beautiful," he told Zofie sincerely.

"Looks like at least ten dollars," Elphaba agreed, with a triumphant smirk.

Fiyero made a subtle face at her.

"It looks amazing. I'll take it back to the Vinkus with me and put it on my wall at home," Fiyero promised her.

"Can I have a hug?"

Zofie nodded and scrambled out from under the covers to hug both Elphaba and Fiyero tightly.

"Come on, Zofe. Let's get you back into bed," Elphaba said and tucked her in again.

Then Zofie reached out and handed Fiyero the other piece of paper in her hand.

"This one's for you too."

Fiyero took it and opened it with interest.

"Thank you... is that me?"

She nodded. "Yep. It's you doing the dance from the last song on my new record. I drew the dance so you can practice it. That way the next time you come visit Miss Fae, you know what you're supposed to do and it will be better."

She said it so matter-of-factly, that neither Elphaba or Fiyero knew what to say. Fiyero looked stunned, which he was trying to hide from Zofie. But Elphaba was trying very hard not to laugh. Both at the picture, Zofie's delivery and the expression on Fiyero's face.

"Oh... well, thanks Zofie. I'll... I'll work on that," Fiyero finally said.

Elphaba didn't trust herself to speak, and she could hear the other girls in the room trying to stifle laughter too.

"OK, well... goodnight, Zofe. Happy birthday."

"Goodnight, hon," Elphaba managed to say with difficulty. "Goodnight, girls."

"Goodnight, Miss Fae," the girls chorused.

The second Elphaba closed the door behind them, Elphaba and Fiyero heard them all burst into giggles.

Elphaba managed to make it halfway down the stairs before she started laughing hysterically. She had to sink onto the stairs, she was laughing so hard she couldn't stand.

"You... you got _dance _instructions from a _seven _year old!" she choked out. "With _illustrations! _And she wants you to _practice!"_

Fiyero sighed. "It's not that funny, Elphaba."

"Oh, but it is," she laughed. "_Please _tell me you're going to actually rehearse this?"

"It's not that difficult! I can point my fingers and do the twist!" Fiyero exclaimed.

"Well, obviously not, or you wouldn't need the instructions," Elphaba grinned.

Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"Oh wait, maybe you have trouble with the part where you have to stand on one foot and shake your hands?" Elphaba asked innocently.

He glared at her.

"Or the part where you have to go up, then go down, then go back up and turn around?"

"_Elphaba!"_

"I'm sorry," she replied, fighting to keep a straight face.

He looked at her suspiciously. "You don't mean that," he muttered.

She snorted. "I don't," she agreed, breaking into laughter again.

Fiyero stalked down the stairs, rolling his eyes again.

Elphaba managed to compose herself long enough to follow him down the stairs and into the common room.

They said goodbye to Amala and left, returning to their apartment. Fiyero was very quiet the whole time.

"Oh, come on, Yero. You have to admit, it's funny!" she said, seating herself next to him on the couch and pulling her legs up under her.

"Not _that _funny," he protested.

Elphaba softened, and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"I wasn't laughing at _you, _Yero," she said softly. "I was laughing... just at the whole idea. It was just very funny that she drew you a picture for a dance. She was so serious about it all."

"Yeah..."

Elphaba smiled gently. "Did I tell you how cute you were tonight? With the kids?"

He looked over at her in interest. "Really?"

She chuckled. "Yeah. I love seeing you with the kids. It just makes me realise what a great father you're going to be one day."

She knew they were both thinking of Mena in that moment, and Fiyero kissed her gently.

"Yeah, well... by the time our kids are old enough for that record, I am going to be _so_ good at these dances," Fiyero swore.

Elphaba laughed and kissed him firmly.

"By the time our kids are old enough for that record, they're getting going to have it in a soundproof room so we don't have to hear it a million times on repeat," she told him.

"I love you," he said gratefully.

"You owe me ten bucks," she reminded him.

Fiyero sighed. "I feel like you cheated," he complained.

Elphaba laughed.

Fiyero held her close and they just sat there for a few moments, taking in the silence of their apartment. Even Kefir was asleep in his corner of the kitchen he liked to sleep in.

"Ok, I have to admit... the picture was kind of funny," Fiyero admitted. "Zofie's lucky she's cute. No one else could get away with that."

"No one?"

"Well... our kids probably could," he amended. "They'll be pretty cute."

Elphaba looked at the paper again and smiled. "It's a cute picture. I just can't believe she actually gave you dance instructions... I do love the way these kids see the world."

Fiyero laughed. "I know what you mean. They're so innocent. So, I wonder what happens when I get Zofie's approval on this dance?"

"Well, judging from the songs she was playing the most today, I'd say _Rock-a-bye your bear _or _Hot Potato _is the next one to master_."_

"That is not what I meant!" Fiyero called after her as she got up.

Elphaba grinned.

**The End**

**AN. Yeah, I made The Wiggles Ozian. Used my favourite Wiggles song, **_**Can you (Point your fingers and do the twist?). **_

**The title is from a Delta Goodrem song, and the title song of her first album- ironically also released in 2003! **


End file.
